Process for treating hides.



D. REDDAN.

PROCESS FOR TREATING HIDES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18,1908.

1,00%205. Patented Sept. 12,1911.

DANIEL REDDAN, CF FITZROY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

PROCESS FOR TREATING HIDES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application filed May 18, 1908. Serial No. 433,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL REDDAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Smith street, Fitzroy, in the State of Victoria, Australia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Processes for Treating Hides; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has been devised to enable a material to be produced as an improve ment upon leather for many purposes and aims at the incorporation of a waterproof and preservative medium in its composition.

In order that my invention may be the more easily understood reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which the means I employ in carrying out the process are set forth in one form of construction but it is obvious that I may amplify or modify such means to suit the varying local conditions or magnitude of the work involved.

In these drawingsFigure 1 is a vertical elevation of a calendering machine hereinafter to be mentioned. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a winding device for wrapping canvas around the skin and drum hereinafter to be referred to. Fig. 3 is a side elevation in section of a steam chamber or vulcanizer. Fig. 4: a front elevation partly in section of a press. Fig. 5 is a front elevation in section of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 a similar elevation embodying a different method of packing. Fig. 7 is a section of the bottom roller of Fig. 2 with the skin, canvas and oilcloth thereon, while Fig. 8 is a detail showing a delay appliance on the top roller in Fig. 2.

In describing my method or process I have referred to the drawings as the different portions of the mechanisms depicted thereon are employed in carrying out the manufacture of the material I have referred to.

I take a hide, say for instance that of a bullock, horse or the like, and I place the same in a solution of freshly slaked lime and water of sufficient strength to remove the hair; after such hair has been removed the hide is taken out of the pit and well fleshed, rinsed in clean water and then placed in a bath of water in which a small quantity of caustic soda and soft soap has been added. The hide is then placed in a warm solution of alum, arsenic, soft soap and caustic soda, in the following proportionsalum 9 ounces; arsenic pound; soft-soap 41.1} pounds, and caustic soda 1 pound,to one gallon of water. These ingredients are well worked into the hide on a fieshing barrel while such solution is warm; the skin by reason of having absorbed or had worked into it the solution I have mentioned will be preserved against decay and toughened, the said skin being left in such solution for about four hours. The hide is then removed from the solution and well rinsed in cold water and hung up to dry. When the hide thus treated has been sufficiently dried it is placed upon the calender machine shown on Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. This machine consists of a central roller a receiving revolving motion from a toothed pinion a and communicates its movement by pinion wheels a with two rollers 79 b. It will be seen that 6 Z) will revolve at a less speed than a by reason of the spur wheels I) being larger in diameter than the pinions a thus not only will the hide be drawn between the upper roller 6 and the middle roller a and thence between a and the lower roller Z) butfrom the fact of a revolving at a considerably higher speed than the rollers b the frictional or dressing effect is given to the hide by such rollers. Prior to the hide entering these rollers, and also while going through them, it is dressed with a soft rubber dough the said dough having been compounded between rollers to the consistency of soft puttythe composition of this rubber dough is preferably as follows: 1 part, approximately a pound by weight, of ordinary rubber. 1 part, approximately a pound by weight, of reclaimed rubber. 1 part, approximately 2 ounces by weight, of a composition consisting of pulveri ed asbestos and zinc oxid, the proportion of the zinc oxid in this mixture being about 5% of its weight. 1 part, approximately 4: ounces by weight, of a mixture of 30% powdered sulfur, 63-3 paraffin wax, 29 beeswax, and 4% tallow. 1 part, approximately pound by weight, of lamp black to be used as a coloring material, and 1 part, approximately 9 pound by weight, of a mixture of 3.3 by weight, of litharge, and 66% by weight, of sulfur.

The one part of the rubber dough mixture consisting of the owdered sulfur, paraffin wax, beeswax an tallow, is produced by first melting the parafiin wax, beeswax and t-allow together and then mixing the powdered sulfur into the liquid mass of the paraffin wax, beeswax and tallow.

The reclaimed rubber included as a part of the hereinbefore described rubber dough mixture, is well known in the rubber trade and in manufacturing rubber, and is 00111 monly obtained from cast off vehicle tires and the like by reducing the same to a pulverized condition and then chemically treating the material with acids to remove its soluble elements, after which the remaining substance is washed in an alkaline solution, such as soda and water, and to the product thus obtained is added fresh rubber to form 4 taken from the calender machine to a curing areas or to a steam chamber. If the former, employ a press such as is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which 0 is the top plate movable vertically and (Z the lower plate which is a fixture upon its standard cZ. Both 0 and d are hollow as at 0 and d so that they may be filled with steam preferably at a pressure of 40 pounds to the square inch, the steam entering at 0 where it is controlled by a cock and after filling and passing along the chamber inc passes through a hollow piston and gland 0 into the hollow lower plate d whence it may escape at d as condensed water, such escape being adjusted by a cock (l at that point. Steam pressure gages c and d are provided to insure that the curing or vulcanizing heat is adjusted at the 40 pounds to the square inch of steam, or other approved amount.

e are stanch vertical pillars screwed at their upper portions to engage with a nut formed in toothed spur wheels 7". These wheels f are operated by a pinion 9 set upon a revoluble vertical shaft h on which a hand wheel h. is set so as to enable it to be revolved and thus raise the pressure plate 0 a sufficient height to enable the skin to be laid thereunder and the plate 0 then lowered and squeezed down tightly upon the said skin and the steam at the pressure of 40 lbs. per square inch turned on for a space of about ten minutes; the press is then released and the hide taken out and is ready for market purposes, when it will be found that the material has all the virtues of leather and at the same time is proof against moisture by reason of its peculiar composition.

In lieu of using the heated press shown on Fig. 4 for curing or vulcanizing I may alternatively take the hide as it leaves the calender machine and place it around a drum made of thin iron such for instance as is shown as a lower roller at 2' on Fig. 2. After the hide has been neatly spread thereon a sheet of canvas j is drawn down from the upper roller (around which it is wound in considerable length); the canvas j is then pulled down and wrapped neatly around the skin on the drum i by turning the handle i. hen about three or four coils of the canvas have been thus wrapped they are held in their position by the hands of one operator while another person cuts the canvas across with a pair of scissors and the edge thus cut is neatly laid on the roll on i and a binding strap is buckled around each end of the said rolleri so that the latter resembles the drawing shown on Fig. 7.

I would have it understood that the roller 2' is one of a number kept for the purpose, viz :one for each hide, and contains a square perforation throughout its length through which the axle 6 passes so that when the strapping has been completed the roll is held in position by one operator while the other withdraws the axle 2' by pulling at the handle 2" and the roll removed and placed in an oilcloth steam and water proof envelop F, the object of the envelop of oilcloth 2' or the like material being to prevent the steam in the process to be next described from entering and interfering with the hide during the vulcanizing or curing process.

Referring to the roller 70 holding the canvas, the exterior spindle is is preferably provided with a delay pressure or friction spring 70 which by its friction prevents I: from turning too easily. I also desire it to be understood that the canvas on 70 and the drum 2', and the hands of the operator, are dusted from time to time with French chalk to prevent adhesion of the sticky rubber dough attaching itself to the parts. The rolls (as shown at Fig. 7 may then be stacked one on top of the other on end (as shown in Fig. 6) in a steam chamber Z or a perforation placed through the said oilcloth envelop at each end and mounted on and pushed along a spindle m supported in steam chamber Z (see Fig. 3) from a boss n when, in the latter case, the drums are placed in position as shown. A supporting post of wood 0 is provided (see Figs. 3 and 5) to support the spindle m, this being merely a plank of wood may be removed when the drums z' are being put on or taken off from the said spindle m. When the drums i are in position as shown in either Fig. 3 or Fig. 6 a face plate is screwed on to the front of Z at Z and steam turned into the chamber Z to a pressure preferably of about 40 lbs. to the square inch for about a quarter of an hour or more according to the quality of the material required, the quality of the article being increased by extending the time of its treatment (Within reasonable limits, say up to about thirty minutes) in the said heating chamber. The face plate of the steam chamber Z is then removed, the drum Withdrawn, envelop Wrapping and canvas removed therefrom and the hide Will be found to be a finished material ready for market purposes.

For coloring the material a dark brown color I may place the hide before being calendered for about one hour in a Wash or bath consisting of- Potassium permanganate 1 lb.

Eosin 4 ozs.

Water 2 gallons. For a light tan color about Sulfate of copper 2 lbs.

Water 2 gallons.

F or a White color about Arsenic 1 lb.

Cyanid of potassium "1% lbs.

Water "1 to 2 gallons.

For a red color about- Eosin "1% lbs.

Potassium permanganate i-lb.

Water 2 gallons.

For a black color about Sulfate of copper .1 lb.

lVater .2 gallons.

I claim as my invention:

1. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first removing the hair from the hide, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution for preserving and toughening the same, then coating the hide and Working into the pores thereof a rubber dough composition consisting of one part of rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, one part of a mixture of sulfur, paraffin Wax, beeswax and talloW, one part of lamp black, and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and then finally subjecting the hide to a curing treatment by the use of heat, substantially as described.

2. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first removing the hair from the hide, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution of alum, arsenic, soft soap and caustic soda, then coating and Working into the pores of the hide a rubber dough composition consisting of one p art of ordinary rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, one part of a mixture of sulfur, paraffin Wax, bees- Wax and tallow, one part of lamp black and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur,

and then finally subjecting the hide to a curing treatment by the use of heat, substantially as described.

3. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first subjecting the hide to a solution of freshly slaked lime and Water to remove the hair therefrom, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution of alum, arsenic, soft soap and caustic soda, then coating and Working into the pores of the hide a rubber dough mixture consisting of one part ordi-. nary rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, one part of a a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and then and talloW, one part of lamp black and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and then finally subjecting the hide to a curing treatment by the use of heat, substantially as described.

4:. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first removing the hair from the hide, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution for preserving and toughening the same, then coating the hide and Working into the pores thereof a rubber dough composition consisting of one part of ordinary rubber, one part reclaimed rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, one part ofamixt-ure of sulfur, paraffin Wax, beeswax and talloW, one part of lamp black, and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and then finally subjecting the hide to a curing treatment by the use of heat, substantially as described.

45. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first removing the hair from the hide, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution of alum, arsenic, soft soap and caustic soda, then coating and Working into the pores of the hide a rubber dough composition consisting of one part of ordinary rubber, one part reclaimed rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, one part of a mixture of sulfur, paraffin Wax, beeswax and tallow, one part of lamp black and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and then finally subjecting the hide to a curing treatment by the use of heat, substantially as described.

6. The hereinbefore described process of treating hides in the manufacture of leather material, consisting in first removing the hair from the hide, then subjecting the hide to a treatment in a solution for preserving and toughening the same, then coating the hide and Working into the pores thereof a rubber dough composition consisting of one part of ordinary rubber, one part of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid,

one part of amixture of sulfur, parafiin Wax,

beeswax and talloW, one part of lamp black, and one part of a mixture of litharge and sulfur, and'then finally subjecting the hide to a predetermined pressure under heat.

7. The hereinbefore described process of pound of arsenic, four and one-half pounds soft soap and one pound caustic soda to one gallon of Water, then coating the hide and Working into the pores thereof a rubber dough composition consisting of a mixture comprising one pound of ordinary rubber, one pound of'reclaimed rubber, two ounces of a mixture of pulverized asbestos and zinc oxid, four ounces of a mixture of powdered sulfur, parafiin Wax, beeswax and tallow, one-half pound lamp black, and one-half pound of 'a mixture of lit-harge and sulfur, and finally subjecting the hide to a predetermined pressure under heat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

DANIEL REDDAN.

Witnesses:

ALICE HARKER, FLORENCE SINCLAIR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

